Two-Sided Fairy Tales
by MSquared79
Summary: The timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast, each with their own twists. In a land with newly reborn magic, one couple discovers the story of true love is still told. In a small town, another couple tells their granddaughter of how true love exists in the real world.
1. Chapter 1

TWO-SIDED FAIRY TALE

**Author's notes:** This is an AU on Prospect Park's _One Life to Life_ on the one hand and takes place during the beginning of the second season of _Once Upon a Time_ on the other. I beg for a mild suspension of disbelief, as the timing of the stories doesn't mesh entirely well.

CHAPTER ONE

Since Belle had returned to him, Mr. Gold had wanted to come home from his shop as early as possible to spend as much time with her as he could. Storybrooke was still in various states of chaos and he was still trying to figure a way out of town with his memories intact, but he was also concerned about Belle. This was a new land for her with strange and wonderful technologies and it could still be a little disconcerting for someone who came from what was basically an agrarian society.

He returned to his mansion to find Belle in tears in from of the computer. "Belle, dearie, whatever is wrong?"

Belle was wiping away her tears. "Oh, nothing, just something silly," she said to him.

"Nothing that makes you cry can be silly," he insisted. "Please, you can tell me."

She shook her head. "I was just watching this program on the television. This couple was reminiscing about their lives together, both the good times and the bad. And he mentioned about it being a fairy tale. Well, the woman said they should have a happy ending which there's didn't and he said it wasn't over." She point to the computer. "I went on that thing you said was the internet and I found so much more of their story. I was just watching a lot of it and it just made me cry." Her face broke into a smile.

"And what was there story?" Gold asked.

"It was the story of true love," Belle said. She told him how the couple met, how the woman, whose name was Blair, learned a truth about the man, named Todd, and schemed for a place in his life, how he learned he wasn't who he believed he was and that he was a wealthy man. She told him that they surprised themselves by truly falling in love with each other. Belle told of their many marriages, their children and how he had actually been lost for so many years, but returned to her and their family.

"He was a beast of a man once, capable of great cruelty but surprising kindness as well. His love for her changed him for the better and she loved him despite many betrayals and lies. And they even freed themselves of each other once, but still returned to that love. Sound familiar?" she asked.

"Maybe a bit," Gold admitted, seeing what she was saying.

"They were even compared to a fairy tale, by her mother. He had a disfiguring scar, like a beast and she was a great beauty who was never really appreciated for much more than that," Belle said. She looked back at the computer. "It is odd how the same stories are told, if with different names and in different settings."

"Some stories are timeless," Gold said. "I have learned that even here, people know of fairy tales and magical worlds. They are told to children usually. Adults tend to grow out of them."

"I guess it is unsettling," Belle admitted, "seeing something so close to my life, the life I remember, being played out elsewhere."

"It is understandable," Gold said, "seeing as how so much of this world is still new to you." He looked at the screen again. "Was that why you were crying? It was upsetting you, reminding you of what was?"

"No, I was crying because it was a beautiful story. And, it gave me hope," she said.

"Hope?" Gold asked.

"Yes, that there is still a love like that for me here," she said giving him a knowing smile. "We are all freed from the Evil Queen's curse and I've been freed from my imprisonment by her. I've returned to the man I love, who is a good person, despite what he may think of himself. And, I guess I question still if that love is still there. Seeing this story of Todd and Blair, it gives me hope for my own life and love."

"Oh, Belle," Gold said. "I do still love you. You must know that."

"Yes, I do," she said, giving him a gentle kiss. "I guess I just need assurances that in this land without magic, there is still such a thing as true love."

"This is a land with magic again. And true love is the purest one of all," Gold reminded mer. "It has the power to bring back which we have lost, no matter how bleak it may seem. Always remember that."

"I will," she assured him. "Maybe you should watch some of this story. It may give you hope in the power of true love."

"I know how powerful that is," he said. "I needn't see my life retold anywhere." He took his handkerchief out and handed it to her. "Now, dry your eyes. They are far too sad for me to see."

"These aren't tears of sadness, but tears of joy, tears of hope…for anyone who loves. Especially the two of us."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Todd Manning heard crying. He never liked to hear crying from the women in his life, especially the littlest one. He, followed by his wife Blair, walked into the house's living room and saw Starr trying to soothe the tears falling from her daughter Hope's eyes. "What's the matter with Peanut?" he asked.

"Something sad happened on her show tonight," Starr said.

"Rumple had to kill the Peter Pan and he died too. And now, Belle is sad!" the little girl explained to her grandfather.

Todd wasn't sure he understood completely what he was being told, but he picked up his granddaughter and, sitting down with Starr and Blair on either side, rested her on his lap. "Belle was sad?" he asked, trying to get some measure of understanding from his daughter.

"Her show, _Once Upon a Time_?" Starr explained as if talking to a three year old. She quickly gave her father a rundown of the series. When she went on to explain about Rumplestiltskin, she said, "He's also the stand in for the Beast, as in _Beauty and the Beast_. Belle makes him a better man and sees the good in him when very few others do."

Now Todd understood. He turned to Hope. "Kind of like Grandma and I, huh?" he asked as he beamed to Blair. It seemed as though their family story could be told to the same outline of that particular fairy tale. "Hey, Hope, did you know, Great-Grandma Addie thought Grandma and I were like Belle and the Beast?"

The little girl shook her head, but her tears seemed to have stopped. She turned to Blair for confirmation.

"Yes, many years ago, she said Grandpa was like the Beast. Mama thought Grandpa would be hurt by that comparison," Blair explained "but she meant it as praise".

"Is it because of the line you have here?" Hope asked Todd, touching his scarred cheek.

Todd nodded, offering a small smile. "Well, partly. I was very mean and very angry when I was younger and a lot of people in Llanview were very afraid of me then. But your Great-Grandmother, she wasn't. She saw how much I loved her daughter and how because of that, I was really a good guy."

"And true love's kiss made you into a prince!" Hope exclaimed, seeing what her grandfather was saying.

"Well, not a prince, but a Lord," Todd cracked. Starr giggled and Blair stifled a chuckle but Hope didn't get the joke. "It took the love of a beauty woman, both inside and out, to complete the transformation."

Hope nodded sleepily, lulled by the story she was being told. "But Rumple went away. He died and I'm afraid Belle will be sad forever because of it."

"Well, I went away too," Todd said. "And your Grandma, and your Aunt Viki, they both thought had died too. And Grandma was very sad, but she still had something I gave her. You know who that was?" Todd asked. As Hope waited for the answer, Todd pointed to her mother. "Grandma was going to have a baby and that was her."

Starr smiled. "And soon, my Daddy came back and we all lived happily ever after!" Starr said.

"Well, it did take a long time to get there," Todd admitted to her. But when he turned back to Hope, the tike was sound asleep. Todd got up gently and carried her to bed, Starr following her. When they reached the room, Blair turned the bed down.

Once Hope was in her bed, Starr went to her room to finish up a lab and Todd and Blair returned to the living room. "Have you ever thought how scary it was that we are kind of patterned on _Beauty and the Beast_?" Todd asked.

"I don't know. It is romantic. This big, strong meanie who fell in love, not just with the fair maiden, but himself as well," she said.

"Blair, one thing I have never known you as was a fair maiden," Todd told her. "But, if you think of it, Viki is a good person for the part of Mrs. Potts."

"And while I may not have a scatterbrained father, Mama is quirky, just like Belle's parent," Blair said.

"And God knows there are plenty of people in Llanview for the roles of the angry villagers. I'm sure Bo and Nora would still gladly lead a pitchfork brigade to our front door," Todd said. Then a smiled appeared on his face. "And you do know who Gaston would be?"

Blair had a hefty suspicion whom would play that part but she asked anyway, "Who would be Gaston?"

"Max, of course!" Todd announced. Blair rolled her eyes and shook her head. To end the evil grin on Todd's face, she kissed him. Todd pulled her in closer, deepening it. When the broke apart at last, Todd said, "See, though, we finally reached it."

"And what is that?" she asked him.

"Well, you said to me once, weren't fairy tales supposed to have happy endings? Well, do you think we final got ours?" he asked her.

Blair made a show of thinking about it. It had been nearly twenty years since their romance had begun. It certainly didn't have the happiest of beginnings and there were more down times than up. But, after all they had been through, she came to one conclusion. "Yes, I think we have finally been blessed by some fairy godmother with our happily ever after."

She went in for another kiss, but Todd held her at bay. "Blair, I don't recall any fairy godmothers in that particular story. I think you're mixing them up."

Blair's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you!" she said, gently swatting him.

He smiled at her and kissed her again. "So, this show? What other fairytales does it include? Are there any naughty ones?"

"Why? Are you interesting in the more adult versions of the tales?" she asked sexily.

"Babe, I'm always interested in those kinds," he answered.

She smirked at him. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but it is produced by Disney," she told him. But, to lighten his disappointment, she said, "But I'm sure I can get creative with them myself," she teased as she took his hand and led him out of the room to the upstairs and their own bedroom.


End file.
